Feeding and distributing device



Feb. 4, 1930. w. D. WHITAKER FEEDING Arm DISTRIBUTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 5. 1928 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 Feb. 4, 1930. w. D. WHITAKER FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 5. 1928 nvefito William D. Whitaker V 1a,, 9? Mia: Q

9 ing mec Patented Feb. 4, 1930 .WILLIAM 'DLWI-UZTAKER, oF'PHI'LAnEimmA, 'rENivsYLvAnm, assrenoamo DELANY %& COMPANY, mo n CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA FEEDING Ann ms'rnmurnve. nnvicn Applieation'filed Octomer 5, 1928. Serial No. 310,489.

This invention relates to-improvements in a feeding and distributing device adapted for feeding loose material into 'a; machine, and

particularly adapted for feeding loose curled 5 hairinto an interlacing machine, adapted for interlacing a relatively thicklayer of hair for forming "fillers for cushions and mattresses. j

The object of the invention is to provide feeding and distributing mechanism for uniformly feeding the hair into the receiving box of a machine, whereby the receiving box will 'be supplied the loose "hair throughout the entire width of the receiving box; "a further object of th-e invention is to provide a casing having a small inlet and a relatively large [or wide] outlet, which isv coextensive with the full widthof a machine into which the materialis 20, being fed; a furtherlobject is" to provide a:

blade or blades within the casing for directadapted for oscillating the blades for evenly distributing the materials ;'--and' a still further object is to provide means for adjusting thethrow of the oscillatingmechanism where- 30, by the'blades'may be limited in their oscillating movementsand utilized for filling the ing hair; Fig. 2 is a plan view ofaportion of 45 Fig. 1, showing the feeding and distributing device; Fig. 3 is ajvertical transverse section on-line 33 Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is-a horizontal section on line 1 4Fig'. 3; and Fig. 5 isan en= larged 'erspective view showing the operatanism of the distributing device. ,i' I

or filled uniformly with ing the course ofthe material through the casing; astill further-object is to provide suitable mechanism for operating two or more blades in unison, which mechanism is clamped In the accompanyingdrawings in which i like reference charactersrefer to like parts, 1 represents a casing having top and bottom walls 2 and 3 and side walls 1 and 5 connected with an inlet tube 7 ,preferably of rectangular formation, which'forms. theinlet to the casing 1. The side Walls 4 and 5 are inclined outwardly from the inlet tube 7, thus providing the casing 1 with 'an enlarged outlet end 8, which-is connected in any suitable manner with a machine 10 which is to be supplied with loose material. Fig. 1 of the drawing shows a-portion of a machine 10 for interlacing curled hair, which machine may be of any 1 standard type well known intheart; Such interlacingv machines are provided with a receiving 190x1 formed by a conveyor belt 14, and an adjustable top wall;15,- connecting plates 16 and-17 and adjustable side wallslS, by means of said adjustable parts the-width or height-of the receiving box may be varied according tothe size of the fillers for mat-' tresses or cushions, which are to be. formed by the; interlacing machine 10.

The inlet tube lis connected with the dis charging tube 20, ofa picker 22, which latter I may be of anystanda-rd type adapted for picking the material-into loose formation and discharging it to the inlettubeT', from which 'it' is blown by" air forced through pipe 2%, connected tangentiallywith thepipe i7 havingitsv opposite end connected with a j the curved blower26, in any suitable manner, adapted for forcing air through th'e casing 1 and car rying the loose material from the picker 22 through the casingl and discharging it into the interlacing machine 10.

The casing 1 is provided with blades 30 and i 31 which are movably mounted within" the casing and are adapted for directing the flow of air and loosematerial through the casing for filling the receivingbox 13 of the machine 10 ancl distributing the loose material evenly through the full width of the receiving box. 7 The distributing mechanism consists of said blades 30-and 31 which are secured upon shafts 33 and 34. Said shafts are pivotally mounted in bearing bars 36 and 37, which are above and below the casing 1 by and 39, located at oppositeends of bolts .38

the bars 36 and 37. The lower ends of the shafts 33 and 34 extend below the bearing bar 37 and have secured thereto arms 40 and 41, having their outer ends connected together by a link 42 adapted for oscillating the blades in unison.

The link 42 is moved by means ofa'crankarm 44 which is adjustably secured in the head 4501" a shaft 46, having secured thereon a worm-wheel 48, which in turn is rotated by a worm 49 secured on a shaft 50, rotated by a belt 51, driven by a pulley 52secured on the shaft 53 of the blower 26. A frame 54 is rigidly secured to the casing 'of-the blower 26 and to the cross bar 37 and forms bearings for the horizontal shaithO and the vertical shaft 46.

The crank-arm 44 is of dove-tail cross section and the head 45 is provided with a dovetai-l slot'to receive the crank-arm 44 and permitthe latter to be adjns'tedin said head 45, and secured in any adjusted position by a set-screw 47. The outer end of the cranka-rm 44 is provided with a pivot-head 61,having a stud shaft62 which is pivotally mounted in the crank-arm 44. Said head 61 is provided with a slot 63, w'hich extends across the face of the head'61 and is occupied by a guide bar 65 rigidly secured below and at right a-nglesto the length of the link 42. The pivot-head 61 slides freely throughout the length of the guide-bar 65 when the crank- -a-rm 44 is rotated, thus moving the link 42 lengthwise, which in turn moves the arms 40 and 41, thus oscillating the blades 30 and 31.

The pivoted shafts 33 and 34 carrying the blades 30 and 31 are positioned adjacent to the vertical side walls 4 and 50f the casing 1, and the inlet tube 7 is provided with flaring inner plates 60, shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, which plates terminate adjacent to the shafts 33 and '34 carrying said blades, so that the material being forced through the inlettube 7 will be admitted to the casing 1 between the blades 30 and 31. i

The operation of the device is as follows, the blades are oscillated continuously during the operation of the blower, which latter is driven by suitable belt connections from the picker. As the blades are oscillated horizontally within the casing 1, the loose material passing through the casing will be directed into the receiving box 13 of a machine 10., and distributed evenly throughout the width of the reciving box, thus uniformly filling the latter with the material.

, By adjusting the crank-arm 44 relatively to the head 45, the radius of the pivot-head 64 may be Varied relatively to thehead 45, thereby changing :the distance which :the link 42 will move and thus changing the :throw of the blades 30 and .3 1. this adjusting means {the m ateni al between the blades may be directed in greater or less quantities at the ing material through the casing, blades mounted within thecasing, said blades positioned adjacent to opposite sides of the inlet pipe forming a passageway for the material to enter the casing betweenthe blades, shafts pivotally mounted within the casing upon which the ends of the blades adjacent to the inlet pipe are secured, and means operatively associated with said shafts for oscillating the shafts in. unison for directing the flow of material through the casing.

2. A feeding device having in combination, a casing having inlet and discharge openings, .a pneumatic feeding device for moving .=loose material through the casing, (an inlet pipe connected wit-h the inlet of the casing and with said feeding device, blades positioned within thecasing in spaced relation to each other forming .a passageway between them for the material topass from the inletpipe through the casin g, shafts rotatably mounted uponthe casing to which the ends of said blades adjacent to the inlet pipe are secured, arms secured to said shaftswithout ithe cas- .ing, a link connecting said arms, and means for reciprocating said link foroscillating the blades in'unison.

3. A feedingdevice having in combination, acasing having inlet and discharge-openings,

an inlet pipe connected with said casin a material treating device for supplying iiiaterial through the inlet pipe to the casing, blades mounted in spaced relation to each other within the casing forming a passageway between said blades .for the loose material to pass between said :blades, shafts rotatably mounted within the casing upon which shafts the ends of said blades located adjacent to the inlet pipe are secured, arms upon said shafts located without the casing, a link connecting said arms, a guide-bar secured upon the link and extending "transverse'ly thereof, a pivot-head s'lidablymounted upon said guide-bar, acrank arm in which the pivot-head is pivotally mounted, .a shaft upon which the crank-arm is mounted, and means for rotating said last :mentioneclshaft.

4. Afeedingdevice having-incombination,

a casing having inlet and dischargeopenings, an inlet pipe connected with said casing, a material treating machine :to which the inlet pipe is connected, blades -:movably mounted within the Leasing located :inspaced relatien to each other forming a passageway for the material to pass between said'blades, shafts located within the casing adjacent to the inlet pipe upon which the blades are secured, arms secured upon said shaft, a link connecting said arms, a guide-bar secured upon said link extending transversely thereto, a crank-shaft, a bearing associated with said casing in which the crank-shaft is rotatable mounted, a crank-arm secured upon said crank-shaft, a head pivotally mounted upon the crank-arm, said head slidably mounted upon said guidebar and adapted for reciprocating the link when the crank-arm is rotated, gearing operatively associated with the crank-shaft for rotating the latter, and means for operating said gearing. I

5. A feeding device having in combination, a casing having inlet and'discharge openings, an inlet pipe connected with said casing, a material treating machine towhichthe inlet pipe is connectechblades movably mounted within the casing located in spaced relation to each other forming a passageway for the material to pass between said blades, shafts located within the casing adjacent to and at either side of said inlet pipe upon whichthe blades are secured, arms secured upon said 9 shafts, a link connectmg said arms, a guidebar secured upon said llIlk extending transway 7. A feeding device having in combination, a casing having inlet and dlscharge openings, an inlet pipe connected with said cas-.

ing, a-Inaterial treating machine to which the inlet pipe is connected, blades movably mounted within the casing located in spaced relation to each other forming a passageblades, shafts located adjacent to said inlet pipe upon which the ends of the'blades are secured, arms secured upon said shafts located without the casing, a link connecting said arms, a'guide-bar secured upon said link extending transversely thereto, a crankshaft, a bearing associated with said casingin which the crank-shaft is rotatably mount- 1 ed, bearing bars located above andbelow the for the material to pass between said casing, shafts extending through said casing f and pivotally mounted in said bearing bars, blades secured to the portions of said shafts located within the casing, arms secured upon said shafts, a link connecting said arms, and

means for imparting a reciprocating motion to said link for oscillating the blades for dis tributing material throughout the width of the outlet of the casing. r

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature. WILLIAM D. WHITAKER.

versely thereto, a crank-shaft, a bearing asi sociated with said casingin which the crank shaft is rotatably mounted, a head secured to the crank-shaft, a crank-arm adjustably mounted in said head, a pivot head pivotally mounted upon the crank-arm operatively I associated with said guide-bar, and means for rotating said crank-shaft.

6. A feeding device having in combination, a caslnghaving inletand discharge openmgs, an inlet p1pe connected with said casmg, a

material treating machine to which the inlet.

pipe is connected, blades movably mounted within the casing located in spaced relation Y to each other forming a passageway for the material-to'pass between said blades, shafts located adjacent to said inlet pipe upon which the blades are secured,arms secured upon said shaft, a link connecting said'arms, a guidebar secured upon said link extending transversely' thereto, a crank-shaft, a bearing associated with said casing in which the crankshaft is rotatably mounted, a head upon said crank-shaft, said head having a dove-tail slot formed across, the facethereof extending transversely relatively to said crank-shaft, a crank-arm of dove-tail formation slidably mounted in said slot formed in the head, means upon the head for securing said crankarm in an adjusted position upon said head, a pivot-head pivotally mounted upon the outerend of said crank-arm operatively sociated with said guide-bar for reciprocating the link when the crank-arm is rotated, and means for rotating the crank-shaft. 

